Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup

Ingredients

1 3 lb. whole chicken (or 1 lb. chicken breast), cooked, and shredded
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 cup shallots, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced or grated
2 tsp. red curry paste
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
6 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14 oz.) can light coconut milk
3/4 cup long grain brown rice OR 6 oz. soba noodles
1/2 cup green onions, sliced + extra for garnish
1 tsp. organic cane sugar
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped + extra for garnish
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
lime wedges, for serving

Directions

 1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallot and carrots and saute several minutes until tender. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the curry paste, curry powder, cumin, and coriander and cook spices for another minute. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, and rice (or noodles) and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the rice is tender (reduce the time if you're cooking noodles).

2. Stir in the shredded chicken, green onions, sugar, fish sauce, cilantro, and red pepper. Simmer just long enough to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with extra green onions and cilantro and garnish with a lime wedge.


from A Hint of Honey, (Adapted from Cooking Light) 

Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kabobs with Mint Quinoa

 Really the main thing I changed with this meal is halving the dipping sauce that goes along the side- it made way more than we used. I prepared the chicken earlier in the day and let it marinate bit longer. I kept it in the refrigerator and pulled it out 20 minutes before putting it on the grill. Once everything was skewered it was pretty quick from there.

Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kabobs with Mint Quinoa
adapted from Simply Healthy Family

 Ingredients

10-12 metal or wooden skewers
1 1/2 cups plain fat free yogurt, divided
1 1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. curry powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 -inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup crumbled low-fat feta
1-2 Tbsp. minced red onion
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. chopped mint leaves, divided
1 cup quinoa, uncooked

Directions

1. If using wooden skewers, soak in water for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine yogurt, garam masala, curry and garlic in a zip lock bag. Add chicken, seal bag, and shake to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, combine remaining yogurt, feta, onion, lemon zest, and 1 Tbsp. of chopped mint leaves. Set aside.

3. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a sieve. Bring quinoa to a boil, turn heat down to a simmer and cook covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lid, cook for about another 5 minutes. Cover when done and remove from heat.

4. Preheat grill to medium-high (spray before heating). Thread chicken, onion, and bell peppers onto skewers. Discard left over marinade. Grill kabobs, turning only once (pick them up with a large tong in the middle, instead of by the stick). Cook til juices run clear, 10-15 minutes.
 Serve kabobs with quinoa sprinkled with mint and a bit of the dipping sauce on the side.

Chicken Biryani

from Cooking Light

"A biryani is a rice dish that's popular in India and Pakistan and usually features a mix of rice, herbs, and spices as well as some type of vegetables or meat."

   This dish was surprisingly tasty. It was sweet and really pretty simple to make- all in one pan, so clean up is great. Since the cooking/sauting times are so short- next time I make this I will have the spices measured and everything chopped and ready to go before hand, instead of attempting to chop as I go.

Ingredients

2 tsp. canola oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
2  tsp.  minced fresh ginger
1 1/2  tsp.  garam masala
3/4  tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 2 tomatoes)
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
1/3 cup golden raisins
14 oz low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds
lime wedges


Directions

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 3 minutes (it will not be cooked through entirely, but only cook 3 minutes). Add onion and jalapeño; sauté 3 minutes. Add ginger, garam masala, cumin, salt, and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add tomato, rice, raisins, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50-60 minutes  or until rice is tender. Stir in cilantro. Sprinkle with almonds; serve with lime wedges.

Coconut Curried Chicken

This recipe has been up since last summer. I made this again last week and decided to add more veggies. Besides salads, I'm really not very adventurous with side dishes- which is why I like to add vegetables to the main dish to bulk it up a bit. This time I added 3 bell peppers and went with diced tomatoes instead of stewed tomatoes. I prefer eating it with brown rice, but really any rice will do. Enjoy every last bit with naan on the side. Coconut Curried Chicken adapted from allrecipes.com Ingredients 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks 1 tsp. salt and pepper, or to taste 1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 2 Tbsp. curry powder 1/2 onion, thinly sliced or diced 3 bell peppers, diced (I used 1 green and 2 red) 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 (14 ounce) can lite coconut milk 1 (14.5 ounce) can  diced tomatoes 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce 2-3 Tbsp. sugar 1-2 Tbsp. cornstarch (if needed to thicken) 1-2 Tbsp. cold water Directions

	1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
	2. Heat oil and curry powder in a large skillet over medium-high heat for five minutes. Stir in onions, half of diced bell peppers, and garlic, and cook until onion is translucent-- up to 10 minutes. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear.
	3. Add remaining bell peppers. Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 40 minutes. If it is taking a long time, or if you are in a hurry in a small bowl add one tablespoon of cornstarch with about 2 T cold water. Mix together and add to curry to thicken. Serve over brown rice. Serves 6-8

Chicken Tikka Masala

from Hint of Honey & Mrs. Harding Cooks

Ingredients

Marinade
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (up to 2 tsp. for more heat)
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garam masala
3 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces

Sauce
2 Tbsp. butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (leave seeds in for more heat, choose a rounded one for less)
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. garam masala (can find at Whole Foods or World Market)
1 (16-oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
1 (14-oz.) can diced or crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine marinade ingredients: yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, garam masala, ginger, and salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for at least several hours or overnight.

2. Grill chicken (can be done on skewers if cut into pieces). If grilling is not available, cook chicken in a frying pan.

3. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with cumin, paprika, and garam masala. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve with brown rice and naan.

Serves 4-6.